Silicon Valley ace is new Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise
Cambridge Enterprise is already a powerhouse of innovation and tech transfer and a major contributor to the UK economy.
Dr Glasheen has over 25 years of experience across industry and university environments in both Silicon Valley and the Cambridge Massachusetts innovation ecosystem. Most recently he was Co-founder and President of two biotech companies, Atalanta Therapeutics and Clade Therapeutics. He also served as Executive Vice Chancellor – Innovation and Business Development at UMASS Medical School.
He has extensive venture investment experience as General Partner and Life-Science Co-Lead at Palo Alto based firm Technology Partners Venture Capital.
Dr Glasheen completed a post-doctoral fellowship at University of California, Berkeley and holds a PhD in Biology from Harvard University, a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Fellowship at Universität des Saarlandes and a BS from Duke University. He said: “I look forward to helping to ensure the innovations that spring from the labs at University of Cambridge achieve their broader positive impact on society.
“The University sits at the hub of the Cambridge and broader UK innovation ecosystems and I relish the opportunity to partner with the many stakeholders that surround it.”
Cambridge Enterprise Chair Ajay Chowdhury added: “This is a statement of our ambition as leaders in UK university innovation. In recruiting this role, we set out to find a new Chief Executive who can bring something different.
“Jim’s ability to talk seamlessly with the VC and licensing communities and knowledge of working in mature ecosystems at scale will continue to position Cambridge Enterprise at the cutting edge of innovation.
“Cambridge Enterprise is in an incredibly strong position, with consultancy and research tools revenues at an all-time high, new initiatives to accelerate innovation and spin-out formation, record levels of venture investment and great achievements for our portfolio companies including Riverlane, Nu Quantum and Cambridge GAN Devices.
“Jim’s extensive experience across sectors and a unique understanding of licensing, venture investment and founding companies brings a huge opportunity for Cambridge Enterprise under his leadership. I look forward to working with him.”
Dr Glasheen succeeds Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, who has been Chief Executive of Cambridge Enterprise since August 2021 and became Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Cambridge in April 2024.
The University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice congratulated Dr Glasheen on his appointment and thanked Dr O’Brien for his leadership of Cambridge Enterprise.
She said: “My congratulations to Jim on his appointment to this important role. The depth and breadth of his experience across many sectors will be invaluable as he leads Cambridge Enterprise in its critical role of enabling innovation and impact through University research.
“I want to offer my sincerest thanks to Diarmuid O’Brien for his exceptional leadership of Cambridge Enterprise over the past three years. I am glad to be able to continue to work with him in his role as Cambridge’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation.”
In providing the diverse support needed by researchers, innovators and talented teams tackling the challenges facing the world, Cambridge Enterprise supports the translation of University of Cambridge research to deliver life-changing impact with global significance.
A key convenor in the UK’s leading innovation ecosystem, Cambridge Enterprise is helping to drive an inclusive innovation strategy for the Cambridge region through Innovate Cambridge, along with co-founders Cambridge Innovation Capital and the University of Cambridge.
